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Legion connection helped attract Series

After failing to find a home for the Sandy Koufax World Series in Vero Beach, Fla., and Queens, N.Y., the American Amateur Baseball Congress turned to Oklahoma as a fertile ground to host its Sandy Koufax World Series for 14-and-under teams.

The initial offer to bring this year’s Koufax World Series to the Sooner State went to Enid, AABC state director Shannon Enfield said during a phone interview Wednesday night.

But, due to its commitment to host the National Junior College Athletic Association — and the strain on its volunteer base — Enid “determined not to do that,” Enfield said.

Enfield then called former Bartlesville American Legion head baseball coach John Pannell, and Mayberry contacted the Bartlesville Sports Commission (BSC).

“They e-mailed me back and said they were interested,” said Enfield, who passed on the message to the AABC main office, located in Farmington, N.M.

Following a quick back-and-forth on negotiations, BSC Chairman Bob Pomeroy announced earlier this week the event would be coming to Bartlesville.

The eight-team Koufax World Series is scheduled for Aug. 1-4, at Bill Doenges Memorial Stadium. Opening day festivities, including a barbecue, are planned for July 31.

The tourney format will basically be double-elimination, with four games planned the first two days, five games on the third game and two games on the final day.

Seven national regional champions, plus a AABC-certified team representing Bartlesville, will comprise the field.

“I like our bracket,” said Enfield. “Everybody has to play each other.”

The first-day schedule will begin with the Puerto Rico representative taking on the East Central representative, followed by the North Atlantic vs. the South Plains, the North Central vs. the host team and the West vs. Southeast.

Players will be allowed to use BBCOR bats and a re-entry rule will be allowed, Enfield said.

Regulation games will last seven innings, and there will be an eight-run rule after five innings.

A total of 1,400 teams will be competing for the seven spots in the Koufax World Series, Enfield added.

Meanwhile, Enfield is wearing another hat this week — joining those helping people in their city of Moore recover from this week’s deadly tornado.

In fact, Enfield could be considered a tornado survivor.

A teacher at Southmoore High School, Enfield said the twister touched down between Southmoore and the elementary school where his wife is employed.

“It missed me by about 100 yards and missed my wife by five blocks,” he said. “She was in a bathroom covering up kids.”

Enfield didn’t escape completely unscathed, however.

The strike took out the windows of his pick-up truck.

But, Enfield considers himself fortunate and is concerned for those who lost far more.

“It’s been an emotional time for everyone at school,” he said. “We’ve been trying to work hard on meeting some needs. … Fifty kids at the high school lost their homes.”

A veteran of American Legion Baseball coaching, Enfield said he would like to see AABC teams and Legion teams in Oklahoma play more games against each other.

“I’m trying to bring the clubs together,” he said, adding he would like to see more teams double-certify with both the Legion and AABC.

For the time being, Enfield is focused on getting past the aftermath of the tragic storm, which claimed the lives of at least seven people, and preparing to oversee the state’s AABC summer season, as well as prepare for the Koufax World Series.